The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting and accurately measuring leaks between compartments of water-filled storage basins used in storing radiated fuel.
In nuclear stations and in reprocessing plants the radiated fuel is required to be stored in large basins filled with water. The water serves both as a biological shield against the radiation emitted during the decay of fission products and as a vehicle for the removal of the residual heat of the fuel.
These large storage basins are divided into several independent compartments capable of communicating with one another by the opening of one or several dikes. If a compartment is isolated from other compartments by the closing of the dikes, it is important, for a number of reasons, to assure the water tightness of each dike between the gate and its frame. For example, it may be necessary to prevent the mixing of waters of different chemical conditions contained in adjacent compartments, or it may be necessary to drain one of the compartments to perform maintenance or repair work.